What You See Is What You Get
by Heather Cat
Summary: What Reno sees is the ninja chick with the legs. What he gets is Yuffie.


What you see is what you get  
  
Forgetting all I'm lacking  
Completely incomplete  
I'll take your invitation  
You take all of me now  
  
I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you  
-  
Hanging By a Moment (Lifehouse)  
  
How in the name of the seven hells had she managed to talk him into this? Well, not that she'd done a lot of talking. She'd more pushed and pulled, to be fully accurate. She'd bloody dragged him out of the nice comfortable hotel room just when he'd finally thought he could get some sleep... And wasn't he supposed to be the enemy? Things weren't making a lot of sense here. He may have been tired, overworked and underpaid but he was still pretty sure that this wasn't supposed to be happening.  
  
The AVALANCHE ninja chick had a firm grip on his arm, however, and he didn't suppose she'd be letting go anytime soon. Reno had briefly considered cutting off his arm and making a break for it, but judging by the look on Yuffie's face even that wouldn't save him. Well, alright. It wasn't like he really minded all that much. She was nice to look at, he'd give her that. And since he'd saved her ass on Da Chao from that sleaze bag Corneo she was probably so grateful that she had fallen head over heels in love with him. Reno grinned. Oh yes, the old charm was working.  
  
When he'd heard the knocking on his door at the Goldsaucer hotel room, he'd naturally expected it to be Rude, or Elena. AVALANCHE was staying in the very same hotel after all, so they were supposed to be on their guard. Reno knew the score, however, so to Elena's great disgust he had sauntered off to his room to catch a few hours sleep until someone felt the need to call on his unlimited talent. When someone had knocked he'd opened the door fully expecting to tell Elena to get lost and let him be, not to find the ninja chick with a big grin plastered across her face. He'd been kinda unsure how to react at first, seeing as how he was sort of supposed to be on duty, but she hadn't really left him much choice. She'd literally pushed him out the door, stating simply that he was taking her on a 'date'. Well.  
  
She was certainly attractive; there was no doubt on that score. He'd found himself staring more than once before on their previous encounters. Rude teased him endlessly about his crush on the 'ninja chick with the legs', but they were the enemy so nothing could come of it, right? Or so he'd thought. If Lockheart or Strife caught them now, he was sure there'd be hell to pay. Heh. Actually, somehow that thought made the idea of spending time with Kisaragi sound even more appealing. Well, Strife was too busy falling all over himself to impress that Ancient to even notice that one of his companions was missing. Not that the brainless, chocobo-haired wonder would be bright enough to realize it anyway. So, when in doubt, ditch the work ethic. With his patented smirk he thought about how by the end of the night he would have Kisaragi wrapped around his little finger.  
  
She seemed to be headed for the Wonder Square right now, hell-bent on doing whatever it was she had in mind. Wonder Square hosted a huge amount of games that could be played for a ridiculous amount of gil, and were almost certainly rigged. The prizes consisted of GP and oversized stuffed creatures that looked like they'd been pasted together by a demented zolem. Ah, well. Maybe this would give him the chance to impress Yuffie with his considerable skill. Yes, without a doubt she would be blown away by his prowess and then she'd be simply begging him to take advantage of her. His smile grew as he thought about all the implications of that.  
  
They passed a large stuffed moogle along the way, and it shouted to them something about enjoying their stay, but Yuffie would stop for no one. She continued up the walkway that led to the games, and Reno did his best just to keep up with her. She was in damn good shape, that was for sure. Reno's grin inched just a little bit wider. He padded after her up the stairs that led to the open outdoor square. Her own smile was almost dazzling, and she paused at the entrance and turned to Reno.  
  
"So, you wanna play some games or something?"  
  
Ha, like she would really give him the option. He tried not to laugh.  
  
"Sure, sure babe. Anything you want."  
  
She raised an eyebrow slightly, and Reno felt like patting himself on the back. He always had been a sweet talker. Yuffie just shook her head slightly, her smile never fading. She turned and put her hands on her hips, finally releasing Reno. He tried to unobtrusively massage his wrist to jump- start the blood flow while Yuffie surveyed the sprawling booths. She frowned slightly, obviously not seeing any one that caught her interest, until her eyes came to rest on one that was bright green. Her face lit up.  
  
"I want to play that one."  
  
Reno craned his neck to see which one she was talking about. He blanched slightly.  
  
"Ah... I don't think so. Why don't you pick a different one?"  
  
"But you said I could pick any one!"  
  
Her voice had already risen an octave. Wincing, Reno raised his hands in self-defense.  
  
"No."  
  
"What do you mean NO?"  
  
"Umm... no?"  
  
"But I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wannawannawannaWANNA!!"  
  
"I am not using a pink plastic fishing rod to catch equally pink plastic mogs for your amusement!" Even his pride had its limits.  
  
Yuffie seemed on the verge of starting to throw a tantrum to rival even Rufus on his bad days when Reno caught site of a stall that was half hidden by the crowd.  
  
"Hey, babe, what about that one?"  
  
Caught between annoyance and curiosity, Yuffie turned to see what he was talking about. Standing on her toes to try to peer over the throng, she brushed a strand of her short brown hair away from her large violet eyes. Damn, thought Reno, she's adorable. Realizing what he'd just done, he mentally backtracked. Wasn't she the one who was supposed to be falling for him? Yeah, that was right. He was just... practicing his lines. Of course.  
  
Hopping up and down, Yuffie had finally managed to catch site of the stand in question. She turned excitedly to Reno who was watching her with a half smile and no small amount of fear. He was utterly convinced that if aggravated enough, Yuffie's voice could shatter glass. But for now she seemed to be distracted, so he breathed an inner sigh of relief. She did, however, grab hold of his arm again.  
  
"Coolness! Come on, Turkey. Let's go!"  
  
With a yank, Reno found himself once again being hauled after the over excited teenager. Well, at least from back here he had a good view.  
  
Now Yuffie was headed for the ball throw mini game, one where Reno assured himself he could shine and, he hoped, keep some shred of dignity intact. There was something profoundly wrong about the image of a Turk holding a pink fishing pole. For now he would do his best to block that one out, and to concentrate on impressing Kisaragi with his natural ability. There was no doubt about it; this was a foolproof plan. Tonight was definitely his lucky night. As they approached the stand he gave it a quick going over to make sure that the game was more or less honest. Being Turk had taught him certain valuable lessons which he had never failed to use to his advantage. He was also mildly angered to see that the man running the stall was giving Yuffie a very interested look. Wait. Why was he getting all possessive? She was whiny, irritating, and heck they weren't even dating. All he was interested in was one night, right? Right.  
  
Giving the other man a warning glare, Reno tapped Yuffie on the shoulder and gave her his best winning smile. This was the one he practiced in the mirror every morning, the one he was certain made women swoon. Naturally, Yuffie saw right through it and inwardly rolled her eyes. He was cute, but this Turk had a lot to learn. Totally oblivious, Reno went on smiling.  
  
"Hey, babe. Why don't you let me play so I can win ya one of those prizes?"  
  
Yuffie gave him her most innocent look.  
  
"Would you, Reno? That'd be awesome."  
  
Feeling on top on the world, Reno turned to the slightly disgruntled looking guy behind the counter. Slapping down ten gil onto the counter, he took the basket containing ten red balls and picked one up carefully. The rules were simple enough. Use the balls to knock down the ten targets and win a prize. Weighing the ball in his hand, he sized up the targets. No problem. Whipping his arm back, he threw.  
  
The target went over immediately, followed by a second and then a third. He missed the fourth by a quarter of an inch but got the fifth and the sixth. The seventh and eighth were off to each side, and to Reno's horror and chagrin, he managed to miss both. Frustrated now, he succeeded in hitting the last two without a hitch. With a victorious smile, he turned to the man just in time witness his slightly crestfallen look.  
  
"Seven outa ten. Better 'n most, mister." He turned to the wall where the prizes hung, and took down a bright red, four-legged plush toy. Taking it from the man, Reno recognized the misshaped thing vaguely as a mythical creature called a 'horse'. He then turned to Yuffie.  
  
"Here you go, babe. This's for you."  
  
To his confusion, though, she began to giggle which is something that was hard to imagine Yuffie doing. She shook her head, trying to stop laughing.  
  
"No, Turkey, I think you'd better keep it. After all, it is the same color as your hair." Yuffie grinned impishly, and Reno groaned inwardly. This was definitely not the way it was supposed to happen. Yuffie shifted to look thoughtfully at the stand.  
  
"You know, I think I'd kind of like to try."  
  
Smiling again, Reno silently praised his good fortune. He would humor her, and after she had had her try he would offer her the prize again, and she, touched by his chivalry would be swept off her feet. Excellent. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out another ten gil which he tossed to the guy in charge. The man pulled out another bucket and then passed it to the waiting Yuffie along with an appreciative glance. Reno grated his teeth together.  
  
Ignoring the other two entirely, Yuffie took one of the red balls in her right hand and tossed it up and down a few times to get a feel for the smooth plastic. It was weighted a little to the left, so she shifted her grip ever so slightly. As she raised her arm back to throw, Reno considered giving her a few tips but decided that patronizing her would probably only get him kicked. She could try, and afterwards she would undoubtedly discover a whole new respect for the red headed Turk. He watched as she began to step back for the throw.  
  
Following the chaos that ensued, Reno was never quite sure what happened. All he was sure of was that Yuffie became a throwing whirlwind, and when, half a minute later, it was all over, they had to search the wreckage for the stand guy. Yuffie had not only hit all ten targets, but in the process had also managed to dismantle a large portion of the stand itself. Three of the targets had holes in them where they had been hit, and one of them had been split in half. Mouth hanging open, it had taken Reno twice as long to make sense of what his brain was telling him. Immediately after, he had rushed to help Yuffie lift the dazed stall guy up and help him over to the counter. After the man had managed to get a grip on himself, he had gone without a word into the back and had re-emerged with a huge blue chocobo that was half as big as Yuffie itself. She had squealed with delight and hugged it before doing a little victory dance. Reno was still trying to understand the turn of events when Yuffie forced the giant bird into his arms and began to push him in the direction of the Event Square. The stall guy held his breath until they were out of sight.  
  
Turning to survey the damage, he muttered to himself as he began to pick up what was left of the targets. After a brief ball hunt and a short, futile wrestling match with one of the splinters that had embedded itself in his shoulder, he simply gave up. It was only as he was packing up for the night that he realized that he had only found nine of the brightly colored balls.  
  
* * * *  
  
As Reno found himself being hauled up to the Event Square, time finally caught up to him again. He looked around, trying to take in his surroundings, only to find his view blocked by a giant blue monster. Slightly desperately, he tried to catch Yuffie's attention.  
  
"'Uffie?" His voice was muffled from underneath the chocobo. "I 'ink I'd 'ike to 'reathe now."  
  
With a sigh, Yuffie turned and effortlessly relieved him of the huge bird. She waited until he had caught his breath before smiling at him somewhat too sweetly.  
  
"Well, Reno, I can carry him if you like. I mean, if you don't want to..."  
  
"N-no!" Reno shook his head quickly, knowing that he had a lot of time to make up for. He accepted the overstuffed bird with a sickly smile, and attempted to do the 'gallant' voice. "Of course I'll carry him for you, babe." Yuffie's smile brightened considerably, and suddenly everything was forgotten. Reno felt as though he were walking on air.  
  
"So... Where we heading next?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking we could go see what's playing in the Event Square. There was supposed to be some kind of special going on tonight."  
  
"Cool. Why don't we check that out?"  
  
Reno found his grin again. As they began to walk towards the doorway that led to the outdoor theatre, Reno's thoughts accelerated. Yuffie wanted to be alone with him in the dark!? The infinite possibilities were scandalously attractive. Just the two of them, with no one who would see them, recognize them or interrupt them... They passed through the doorway and into the spotlight lit yard. A sudden idea occurred to Reno, but he was all too aware of the giant fuzzy blue bird still between him and Yuffie. With a heave, he began to maneuver it to the left so that he could, with effort, carry it with only one arm. Painstakingly balancing the horse on top of the chocobo, Reno jogged so that he could be next to Yuffie as they came in sight of the stage. There, that would do it. Smirking at his own genius, Reno began to slide his free arm around Yuffie's shoulders. Just a little more...  
  
"Congratulations!"  
  
Sudden bright lights in his eyes caused Reno to pull his arm back and shield his eyes. A man in a brightly colored suit had appeared in front of Yuffie and was rapidly shaking her hand. A confused look on her face, Yuffie was momentarily taken aback.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You're our 101st couple of the evening! As a special gift you get to perform in the play."  
  
"Wha...? Shouldn't it be, like, the 100th couple?"  
  
The man's face suddenly darkened, and he dropped his eyes to glare menacingly at the ground.  
  
"Let's just say that didn't work out too good, and never speak of it again, shall we?" He looked up, suddenly smiling again. Now he moved over to shake Reno's hand. Reno swore he could feel his teeth rattling.  
  
"It's easy! All you have to do is say whatever you want when your cue comes, and the rest of the cast will play along!"  
  
Yuffie looked excited, and she grabbed Reno's other hand and began to bounce up and down. Now that both sides were in motion, Reno felt vaguely seasick.  
  
"Can we, canwecanwecanwecanwecanwecanewe PLLEEAAASSSSEEEE!?!?!?"  
  
In his head, Reno groaned. So much for being alone in the dark. Oh well, better to play along than to be beaten to death. Grudgingly, he agreed.  
  
"I guess..."  
  
"Oh YEAH!" Yuffie punched the air dramatically. "Coolness! Reno, you're the greatest!"  
  
To his shock, she twirled around and threw her arms around his neck. Laughing, she gave him a quick hug before pulling away and running towards the stage. To Reno's dismay he realized that he was bright red. Dammit, Reno! You're supposed to keep your cool! You don't want people... don't want her getting the wrong idea or something! You're only in it for the sex. It's not like you... like she... I mean... NonononononononononoNO!! Stopping. Thinking. Now. Play. Go.  
  
He lurched off after Yuffie after dumping the stuffed chocobo on the door guy. They could pick it up on the way back. Trying very hard to keep his brain in off mode, Reno climbed up the stairs that led behind the scenes. He'd never done one of these play things before. He'd heard from Elena that girls loved theatre, but it had never really been worth his while in the past. But if Yuffie wanted a play, than Yuffie would get a play. Letting himself smile at his own greatness, he marched into the nearby dressing room to which he was being ushered by someone in a wizard costume. This would be great, he knew. Now he would be able to show Yuffie once and for all how utterly, inconceivably amazing he was. She wouldn't be able to resist him after this! He turned to the wizard, this thought firmly in hand.  
  
"So, what do I do?"  
  
"Well... the blue jacket's gotta go, but other than that you're not too bad. You'll be playing Alfred."  
  
"Alfred? What kind of a stupid name's that?"  
  
The wizard sighed.  
  
"Don't blame me. Blame the writer. You're Alfred the Legendary Hero. It's your job to save the Princess Rosa from the evil dragon Valvados. Got it?"  
  
"Good guy kill bad guy, reality check needed. Got it."  
  
"Perfect, now get out there! It's about to start!"  
  
Reno dropped his blue jacket onto the chair in the dressing room. He noticed with a pang that it had bright blue fuzz all over it. No, Elena and Rude would never let him live this down. Oh well. After this play was over, it would all be worth it. He just had to keep believing that. Stepping out, Reno let the wizard lead him over to where a man wearing a suit of armor was standing behind the curtain. The knight guy nodded to him before turning to watch for their cue to enter. Reno just stared. He really hadn't counted on there being that many people in the audience.  
  
Suddenly the narration marking the beginning of the play began.  
  
"Long, long ago... An evil shadow appeared over the peaceful kingdom of Galdia... Princess Rosa was just kidnapped by the Evil Dragon King, Valvados. What will become of her? Just then, the legendary hero, Alfred, appears!!" As the narrator pronounced the words of doom, like a rabbit caught in front of the oncoming traffic, Reno felt himself freeze up.  
  
He had no time to worry about it, however, as the flash of a small light on the other side of the stage was the cue the knight was waiting for. Before he could protest, Reno felt a sharp shove, and he went stumbling out onto the stage. The knight came twirling on after him, before stopping and raising his hands dramatically.  
  
"Oh... You must be the legendary hero... Alfred!"  
  
Momentarily, stunned by the bright lights, Reno just stared around him. As he looked at all the faces watching him, he swallowed with difficulty. Off near the front of the stage, he could just hear two people talking.  
  
"Hey... isn't this the same play as before?"  
  
"Yeah, you're right... Except that Alfred guy looks different."  
  
"I really hope he doesn't kiss the King this time."  
  
Reno realized about then that the knight guy was talking to him. He also looked highly annoyed.  
  
"Come on, not you too! It's your line, buddy!"  
  
Reno opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead he just stared helplessly at the knight in front of him. The knight rolled his eyes before twirling around and landing on his knee.  
  
"Oh... You must be the legendary hero... Alfred! I know it in my soul. Please. . . please save Princess Rosa!" He made another dramatic gesture towards the side of the stage. "Now... Please talk... to the King....!!"  
  
On cue, a large man wearing robes and a crown danced out on to the stage. Not sure what to do, Reno suddenly felt something prod him in the direction of the king. Still speechless, he stumbled over towards the man. The king made a bowing gesture.  
  
"Oh... legendary hero, Alfred. You have come to save my beloved Rosa... On the peak of a dangerous mountain... dwells the Evil Dragon King, Valvados... who's kidnapped Princess Rosa... But... you can't beat the Evil Dragon King now! Talk to one who can help you......."  
  
The wizard pirouetted onto the stage to stand next to the knight. Starting to get the hang of this now, Reno decided to head over towards the wizard. Figuring that since he hadn't actually needed to say anything yet he would be alright, he began to feel a little more confidant. It was at that point that things started to go wrong. As he approached the wizard, the man in the overly ornate costume nodded at Reno to acknowledge him.  
  
"I am the great wizard, Vorman. What do you wish to know?"  
  
Okay, so now he had to say something. But what? Oh, right... He was supposed to be defeating the Evil Dragon King, wasn't he? Okay, now if he could just get it out without stuttering...  
  
"T-the Evil Dragon K-King's weakness." Well, good enough.  
  
"Ahh, the weakness of the Evil Dragon King. It must be, it must be... Yes, it must be... True love! The power of love... is the only weapon that can withstand the fangs of the Evil Dragon King...!"  
  
Reno wondered why he hadn't guessed. The wizard raised his arm with a sweeping motion to deliver a closing comment, but he failed to see the torch directly behind him. With a clang, the whole thing went over. The steel cage covering the candle came lose, flying up into the air as the candle itself came down straight towards the wizard's robes. Acting as fast as he knew how, Reno dove for it. As he hit the floor, he grabbed for the hot wax candle before it could touch the ground, caught it, and effectively slid straight into the knight, sending him stumbling backwards. At the same time the metal grate came back down, straight onto the already reeling knight's head. The knight yelped and spun around, darting off the stage through the curtain. More than slightly confused, Reno climbed to his feet, and righted the candle back on the pedestal where it had originally sat. To his merit, the narrator came to their rescue.  
  
"The knight was actually... a spy for the Evil Dragon King! Thanks to the Legendary Hero Alfred... he was chased out of the kingdom!"  
  
The wizard, catching on first, knelt before Reno.  
  
"Oh thank you... Legendary hero! But now the Evil Dragon King... approaches!"  
  
Pulleys began to creak overhead as the Evil Dragon King was maneuvered into the air. Reno looked up, wondering what on earth could come next. There was no way this play could get any cornier. The dragon's weakness was true love? Hah! Who could fall in love with some stupid princess they were seeing for the first time... With a satisfying screech, Reno watched, impressed, as a large dragon was swung onto the stage holding a girl in a princess costume. For no apparent reason, seeing the princess suddenly made his knees go weak.  
  
"Gaaaaaaah! I am the Evil Dragon King... Valvados! I have not harmed the Princess... I have been expecting... you!" The princess made a great show of trying to escape before slumping dejectedly down.  
  
"Please help me... Legendary hero!"  
  
It took him a moment to realize it was Yuffie. He was, once again, stunned into inaction. He had never even dared to imagine something as strange as Yuffie in a dress before, let alone a pink and purple one. It was strange. Those clothes looked so out of place on her, and yet she looked... nice. Really nice. For a minute all he could do was gape.  
  
The strained silence eventually brought him back to reality, and he swore he saw Yuffie wink at him. She then turned her head to whisper something to the dragon, which in turn nodded almost imperceptibly before moving to speak.  
  
"Gaaaaaah! Here I come, Legendary hero... Alfred! I already know... your name!"  
  
The EDK costume's mask was in bad shape, and was falling apart on the side the audience could not see. Reno squinted to see who was under it. He was surprised to see a woman in the costume, seeing as how the other actors were all males, but she was also extremely beautiful. She was smiling at him provocatively, and she mouthed something he didn't quite catch. It looked almost like 'pick me', followed by another smile. Torn, Reno couldn't decide what to do. The wizard moved in to help Reno out.  
  
"And now... Legendary Hero...! Here is what will happen... to your beloved......." He spread his arms. "A kiss! The power of True Love!!"  
  
A kiss huh? Well, that wasn't too difficult. And it would be certain to impress Yuffie. Nah, that EDK chick may be hot, but if he kissed her he was pretty certain that Yuffie would kill him there and then. Besides, although he couldn't, wouldn't say why, he'd pick Yuffie over that other girl any day.  
  
Strolling forward, a smirk on his face, he stopped in front of Yuffie and fell to one knee. With the same look on his face, he took her right hand and placed it over his heart before holding it up again and gently kissing it. His heart quickening, he also saw the look on Yuffie's face soften for just a moment. For that one moment, he heard hallelujah choruses singing in his head. He'd done it! Now she was his for sure!  
  
Unfortunately, before anyone could react, the knight decided to make his grand reentrance. Still having the mesh stuck on his head, he stumbled onto the right side of the stage, backwards, and right into the Evil Dragon King. The girl in the costume tried to react, to move out of the way, but no one had noticed before that when Reno had knelt down he had pinned her tail to the floor. The knight careened into the dragon that in turn could not keep its balance. As the dragon began to topple over Yuffie yelped, scrambling to get out of the way, but Reno was not so fortunate. Between staring in wonder at the unfolding action and helping shove Yuffie out of the way, Reno was pinned under the Evil Dragon King. The girl inside tried to get up and off, but the heavy costume would not allow her enough movement. Reno was perhaps the first to hear the screech of outrage.  
  
"Get off, get off, get off!!!!!! Keep you hands off my date!"  
  
Yuffie was one of the few people he knew who could verbally add multiple exclamation marks onto a sentence. She was also very angry. Dress or no dress, she wasn't going to stand for that. Stalking over to the dragon, she tackled the woman inside and began to battle furiously. The woman in the costume didn't stand a chance. Scrambling to his feet, Reno had to pry the furious ninja off of the irate dragon before the already well-bruised girl was rendered unconscious. The narrator hurriedly decided that it was time to end things before they got any worse.  
  
"And so the Princess Rosa defeated the Evil Dragon King, and the legendary hero was saved. The kingdom rejoiced and they all lived happily ever after. The end."  
  
And with that, the curtains closed to a smattering of applause, laughter and catcalls. Reno whimpered slightly and rubbed his shoulder, which was now aching. It was pitch-dark back here now, but he heard angry grumbles from the rest of the cast as well and decided it was probably time to get going. He heard footsteps moving in the opposite direction and decided Yuffie must have come to the same conclusion. Time to get a move on. Hearing particularly pained muttering from where the dragon had fallen, he decided to jog rather than walk.  
  
In the dressing room, he only paused long enough to grab his jacket and brush at it absently before slipping it on and hurrying out. He was still blue and fuzzy, but that was eminently preferable to blue, black and painful. He jumped down the stairs and hurried along in front of the stage over to the other side. He stopped, but only briefly, because he didn't have to wait long before Yuffie joined him. She, once again in her normal attire, was swearing about something or other when she leaped down from the top step, and he heard her say something about a 'goddamn skirt, why would you ever wear one of those things' as she landed beside him. Offering her his arm, she quickly took it as they made their hurried getaway. They easily blended into the audience that was eager to escape, and they filed out with the rest of the people. Reno only made a quick pit stop to visit the man at the door to get the huge blue chocobo back from him.  
  
Once outside, Reno dared to breathe a sigh of relief. That was, however, before he realized who was still holding onto his arm. Not good. She was probably not happy, and a not happy Yuffie equaled a lot of pain for anyone who happened to be in the immediate vicinity. He almost didn't dare to look. Still, steeling himself for the outburst that would surely follow, Reno glanced down and met Yuffie's eyes. It was to his amazement that she was smiling. Slightly evilly maybe, but it was a hundred times better than he'd expected. Seeing his surprise, she began to laugh.  
  
"That was so funny!" Ruefully, he began to laugh too. "That was the best play ever! I usually hate 'em, those actors are so full of themselves, but that was totally the greatest play I ever saw." They were both laughing in earnest now, remembering the horrible mess they'd left behind. When Reno caught his breath, he gave Yuffie a suspicious, if amused, look.  
  
"So... you don't completely hate me, then?"  
  
This just caused Yuffie to break into another fit of laughter.  
  
"Nah, you were great. Perfect! I can still see you standing there, staring out at the crowd, looking every bit as stunned as Cloud!"  
  
"Hey, you were the one in the dress!"  
  
"Don't remind me!" She stuck her tongue out at him before turning away. With an evil grin and a snicker she began to scamper away. Reno watched as she disappeared into the tunnel leading to Round Square. But as he watched her run away, Reno was suddenly reminded why he was here in the first place, and violently. Starting after her, he remembered the look she'd given him when he'd kissed her hand, and it brought back the familiar grin. No, all was not lost.  
  
Round Square had only one ride, but it was probably the best one in the park. Yuffie stood by the ticket booth, waiting impatiently when Reno finally arrived. She noticed with a smile how terribly the big blue chocobo clashed with his hair. Still, he was only carrying it because she hadn't asked him to, so she decided to let it pass. He did look cute as anything, she had to admit. And, while he probably would have been glad to hear it, Reno was a little busy worrying about how he was going to pay for the gondola ride. He'd left his wallet back in the apartment, only bringing with him the gil he had in his pockets. Somehow he strongly doubted Yuffie would appreciate him asking to borrow however much gil it was going to cost. He was very glad, then, when the older woman at the booth smiled at him as he approached.  
  
"Hello there, tonight is our special couples night. Couples get to ride free."  
  
Reno tried not to let the relief show on his face. He flashed the woman a smile.  
  
"Two please."  
  
She tore two tickets off the long roll on the desk, and passed them to the Turk. He took them before passing one to Yuffie and thanking the woman. He then dumped the chocobo near the gate, gratefully, before bowing Yuffie into the ride having borrowed a move from the knight. He quickly followed her inside. All he could think about was that they were finally going to get to be alone. Although he tried his hardest, he just couldn't stop grinning. He'd always known he was a stud. Rude and Elena just didn't like to believe it because it made them feel inadequate. Of course he'd known that Yuffie wouldn't be able to help toppling for his roguish charm and dashing good looks. The outcome to the evening was inevitable. He congratulated himself as he sat down on the seat across from Yuffie.  
  
She immediately occupied herself with looking out the window as the ride started up, and Reno felt the beginnings of disappointment. But no, he would not let this chance slip away, not after everything he'd gone through to get her here. But what to say, what to say? She seemed totally engrossed in the scenery. He risked a glance out the window, to see what it could possibly be that was more fascinating than him. He did not have to wait long. They coasted high above the rest of the park, letting everything below become simply lights, and sound. It was garish, but in it's own way breathtaking. And that was before the fireworks began.  
  
They lit up the sky, sending crimson, green, gold and blue fire streaking across the night. Each burst of color was accompanied by an awed gasp from his companion, and Reno found himself smiling at her again for the countless time that night. Her eyes were wide, and she seemed almost innocent at the moment. He was instantly taken in by her childlike wonder. He couldn't... could he? But as he looked at her now, silhouetted against the lights from outside, he knew that it didn't matter if he couldn't. He was. Well, the battle may have been lost, but there was no way in hell he would loose the war. For now all he could do was put up a valiant rear guard action. The object: gain ground.  
  
In a final, spectacular burst of light, the fireworks lit up the gondola one last time before gradually fading away. Yuffie finally turned to Reno, the pixyish grin still playing on her lips. She met his eyes before staring down at her hands.  
  
"At first, I wanted Cloud to take me, but he went with Aeris, so, yeah." She made a face. "But you know? I think tonight was a gazillion times better than any date with stupid Cloud."  
  
For a brave warrior, Reno had very little idea of what to say. Yuffie flushed slightly and her smile faded.  
  
"You think I'm a stupid, whiny ninja brat too, don't you? Just like all the others. You probably didn't want to come with me at all."  
  
"W-wait! That's not true at all!"  
  
Yuffie looked away, and when she answered her voice was skeptical.  
  
"Oh yeah? Everyone thinks I'm just a kid with klepto problems."  
  
"...You did kind of steal their materia."  
  
"So!? I only did it because I thought I'd be helping Wutai! My father won't do anything, and I hate having to live with the shadow of what Shinra did to us hanging over my head!" She looked up at Reno who had cracked a smile. She kicked at the floor. "See? Even you're laughing at me. Nobody takes me seriously."  
  
"Listen Yuffie, if I don't always take you seriously it's because you're not always serious. But that's what I like about you. You're fun to be around." And not to mention totally hot. "I'm not laughing at you, but if I was, it's only because you make it sound like everyone who works for Shinra is a jerk."  
  
"They are jerks. You just happen to be a nice jerk."  
  
She stood up and walked over to sit beside Reno. He suddenly felt very hot and extremely nervous. She leaned close to him.  
  
"A really nice, cute jerk."  
  
She bent over and kissed him on the cheek before getting up and returning to her seat. Her smile was back, and more impudent than before. Reno realized that once again, he was in the process of missing his chance. Say something, say anything! He tried to formulate even a simple sentence, but it fell apart before he could open his mouth. And then, it was too late. He could feel the gondola coming down to rest in the small port where they had started. Cursing himself over and over, he could do nothing but follow as Yuffie climbed out of the gondola and back onto solid ground.  
  
When she turned to him with that smile, he knew that the evening was at its close, and he was out of luck. She stood there, just smiling knowingly, and then she began to turn, to leave. SAY SOMETHING!! His inner voices raged, but what could he say? Yuffie would you like to come back to the hotel... No. If he was going to say anything, then he should tell her the truth. That was it.  
  
"Yuffie..."  
  
She turned around with a quizzical expression on her face.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"...You're awesome." He said it simply, as if acknowledging a fact he had known all along. Yuffie's answering smile could've lit up the night.  
  
"I know."  
  
Then all that stuff on the gondola...? But Reno's thoughts were cut short when Yuffie suddenly appeared in his arms, her lips coming up to meet his. His eyes opened wide for a moment, but then he pulled her close, answering her passion with his own. When they finally pulled apart, there really was nothing left to say. Yuffie whistled slightly.  
  
"We'll definitely have to do this again sometime, Turkey." She began to walk away, gradually vanishing into the darkness. "'Night, Reno." Was all he heard as she faded out of sight.  
  
Reno watched until she had completely disappeared from view before turning away and inhaling deeply. He now found himself standing beside the huge blue bird, but he didn't seem to notice. One night? What had he been thinking? Judging by his slightly shaking hands, a whole lifetime might not be long enough. But for right now, he was going in search of a bucket of very, very cold water.  
  
This was his last thought before a small red ball collided with the back of his head and the sound of laughter trailed away into the night.  
  
~A/N: Hey everyone! Long time no see! Sadly, everything's been on hiatus do to mild chaos in my life, but I know that's not an excuse. I'm finally starting to get back on track again. So, here is my version of the infamous, or at least oft imagined Reno/Yuffie date scene. Yes, this is a blatant Reffie, but I was in the mood for something fluffy and I'm tired of everything dripping angst. So, here's the result. Hope you liked it!~ 


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